Moyai statue
Type of stone statue from Niijima, Japan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Japan, a moyai statue (Japanese: モヤイ像, Hepburn: moyaizō) is a type of stone statue originally created in the Japanese village of Niijima, located in the Izu Islands. The statues, which were created to promote awareness of Niijima, are themed and modeled after the moai of Easter Island. The statues may be found across Japan, where they often serve as local landmarks. A moyai statue in Shibuya, which serves as a popular rendezvous location in the area, was the inspiration and original design for the "moyai" emoji (🗿).
For the Easter Island statues which moyai are based on, see Moai.